The project focuses on Polish which has, as second largest spoken Slavic language, a growing importance for Eastern Europe but also for other European and Non-European countries. The project is based on the new free e-learning platform for learning the Polish language, polski.info, which was developed during the Polish Online project 2017-2019. Polski.info is a free e-learning platform oriented towards autonomous learning that offers the possibility to train vocabulary, knowledge of grammar, reading and listening skills with interactive online courses at the levels A1 and A2 of the CEFL. The entire content of the website is planned to be available in 8 languages (English, German, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovene and Ukrainian) + Polish, so that learners always have a possibility to see translation of the texts in lessons as well as instructions in their own language. This makes the beginning of the learning of a new language easier, especially for a self-taught student. This modern educational website has been programmed with the newest technologies, that allow it to be used on all operating systems and devices, including smartphones and tablets. On the portal polski.info users can already access the following materials free of charge: - Courses A1 and A2 as well as an introductory A0 course on phonetics, with a total of 41 lessons, including interactive exercises; - Grammar section; - Active educational Facebook-page and other applications for social media. Combining these observations, the goal of the project is to further develop a free of charge, multilingual, online e-learning portal for learning the Polish language by adding a new e-learning course for the B1 level as well as extending the grammar section and the dictionaries. The Facebook page will be further developed, where users have the opportunity to regularly get fun language tasks, communicate and exchange learning habits, concepts and share other valuable information. Though some other offers for Polish language can be found, they only comprise an overview of grammar and words and do not provide high quality pedagogical courses, that were not only developed by professional linguists but also tested with relevant target groups and adapted to their needs. The best available possibilities for learning Polish online and free of charge, other than polski.info, are only available in English, excluding the majority of adult learners, whose proficiency in English is not high enough for using English in order to learn another foreign language. Thus, the project develops and disseminates new language learning materials, including online courses based on CEFR. It will have built in dictionaries and interactive and engaging exercises, etc. and will be developed in 8 languages + Polish. This multilingual feature will especially attract the vast majority of adult learners, whose proficiency in English is not high enough for using English in order to learn another foreign language. Polski.info gives them the opportunity to be guided with the support of their native language version of the platform. This feature is a great opportunity for insecure languages learners and gives them the opportunity to discover online language learning as an interesting and modern and not necessarily difficult learning experience. Facing the fact, that Polish minorities and diasporas are to be found all over Europe, but also overseas as in Latin or North America, that temporary and permanent migration to Poland is growing, as well as the need to foster the use of ICT technologies and life-long learning, the necessity of this project becomes clear: When it comes to language learning, the Eurobarometers “Europeans and their languages” (Waves 243 and 386), have repeatedly shown that the next most common methods for learning languages, after the formal education, are self-study and learning a language at home, from family members. At the same time those Eurobarometers, but also most other surveys on language learning, identify the cost of language lessons as one of the most frequently stated reasons why people do not study languages. The interactive and online based alignment allows to respond to a large target group of different ages, nationalities and varying level of skills. The main target audience are adults, university students, professionals, school students, Polish 2nd and 3rd generations from the Polish diaspora, partners in mixed relationships, migrants coming to live and work in Poland and tourists, who are planning to visit Poland. We envision the following impact: - Improved access to learning Polish language for wide audiences through a new OER since no similar pedagogically valuable resources at B1 level exist at the moment; - Available free online course that motivates by using engaging, interactive and user friendly tools and gives the opportunity to learn where- and whenever it is suitable; - Improved understanding of Poland and its culture.
Our project was driven by several key objectives: We aimed to craft materials designed for learners at the B1 level while maintaining continuity with our A levels. We organized the course into modules. This structured approach provides learners with a predictable and effective rhythm for acquiring language skills. Our materials leverage a diverse cast of characters to expose learners to a wide range of everyday situations. This approach not only fosters practical language acquisition but also deepens their cultural and contextual understanding of the Polish language. A significant goal was to empower autonomous learners by providing user-friendly, accessible content. We wanted to offer them the tools and resources necessary for self-directed language learning. To enhance the user experience, we focused on content expansion and accessibility. This included text recordings, content illustration, and translation to accommodate B1-level vocabulary, making the platform more user-friendly and engaging. Collaboration was a cornerstone of our development process. Working in small groups allowed us to refine content and conduct thorough testing with learners in face-to-face settings. This approach ensured clarity and addressed any challenges in the materials. We aimed to provide learners with a comprehensive array of resources, including grammar explanations and interactive dictionaries.
We applied for the financing of the project Polskie.info because we recognize the significant demand and potential for providing advanced and high-quality Polish language learning materials. The success of the platform polski.info (level A1 and A2) within the Polish learners' community underscores the need for B-level resources. We were motivated by the following factors: there was a gap in existing materials for advanced Polish learners, the number of migrants increased in Poland and has had a significant impact on the Polish language market. We saw an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution during this evolving landscape, by offering a free-of-charge course in basic Polish and support Polish language learners. The project comprises experts in language learning and programming, including Polish language specialists who are engaged in Poland, working with migrants, and demonstrating a track record of curriculum and material development tailored to the specific needs of this group. Our international partners, situated within Polish Studies departments, bring their insight into the necessity for good quality educational resources designed to cater to autonomous learners striving for proficiency in the Polish language.